Finding One Another
by nicole.cappsdixon
Summary: Another way "Attached" could have ended. Picard and Crusher deal with being disconnected, their friends' concerns, and taking their relationship to the next level. I wrote this years ago and posted on somewhere else. I've edited to post on the new sites I have found recently.
1. Chapter 1

Summary: Another way "Attached" could have ended. Picard and Crusher deal with being disconnected, their friends' concerns, and taking their relationship to the next level.

Disclaimer: Paramount created the characters and the series. I merely like to dream of where the characters can go.

Finding One Another

December, 1998

She couldn't decide which was more uncomfortable - laying face down on the bio-bed or trying to sleep on the hard Kes-Prytt ground the night before. The bio-bed was quickly winning.

They did not make the beds for this position, she thought. The response that came was spoken only in her head; _At least the dirt gave some_.

Lying with her head propped on her arms, her face on the bed, Doctor Beverly Crusher smiled at the voice's humor. The position was necessary for her staff to examine the implants attached to her and her captain's upper neck. Captain Jean-Luc Picard lay on the bed next to hers in the same position waiting patiently. They really had no choice. It was up to the doctors and nurses of the U.S.S. Enterprise's sick bay to decide the best way to remove the implants that allowed Crusher and Picard to hear each other's thoughts.

The discomfort of lying on the beds for two hours now seemed trivial compared to having spent the past two days first locked up in a small cell in the Kes colony then running from Kes soldieries through mountainous terrain. Of course, the need to eat after two days of no food was also trivial compared to the fact the two Star Fleet officers and friends were alive to whine about the whole ordeal. That didn't stop the Enterpriser's chief medical officer from dreaming a big bowl of homemade soup.

 _Stop that!_ Picard's cry was a surprise for Crusher, but it distracted her from her hunger and her discomfort. _Sorry._

 _What is taking them so long?_

 _This is new technology Jean-Luc. They have to make sure they will not hurt us in removing the implants_ , Crusher thought.

 _Why can't the Kes remove them?_

 _You know the answer to that._

Crusher was just as impatient as her captain. She would love to be standing over him examining the implants first hand. As it was, her staff had ordered her to remain still and was refusing to tell her anything.

She heard Commander William Riker's voice speak to the captain. Riker was still catching Picard up on ship business during his and Crusher's captivity. Will had done a good job avoiding a violent conflict between the Kes, Prytt and the Enterprise. He had also found new information that would stop this world from joining the Federation.

"Should I write the report for Star Fleet," Riker asked Picard.

"Yes, you handle it. Dr. Crusher and I will report the capture, but your face-to-face experience best describes this planet. Let that be the lead of the report. And go ahead and send it. No reason to make the Prytt wait for the Federation's answer," Picard answered. "Do you agree, Doctor?"

"Yes, we never even got to meet the Prytt. I don't how we can comment on them at all."

Riker nodded, not thinking the two could not see his response with their faces hidden. "Well, I will get out of the way. I believe the medical staff has placed both of you on medical leave. Even after the implants are out, you both need rest . . ."

"Will, after the implants are removed, I will be back on duty," Picard demanded. Crusher almost joined him in the statement. _Don't we deserve some time off after that little trip?_

The thought raced to Picard and he sighed at loud. _Do you agree with the leave?_

 _Yes, to a point._

 _All right._ "All right Number One, we will see how things are tomorrow before I demand the big chair back," Picard said finally bringing Riker back into the conversation.

Looking a bit confused, not for the first time that day, Riker acknowledged the captain before retreating out of sick by.

 _Happy, Doctor._

 _Yes._

 _Good, now tell me what you are hiding from me._

 _Hiding from you. We have brain implants that allow us to hear each other's thoughts. What could I be hiding?_ Beverly pushed the panic away that was building so as not to give Jean-Luc more proof she was worried about something.

 _There. You did what I tried to do last night. You pushed something away. What is it?_

 _It's nothing._

 _Beverly._ The tone he used was all business and close to the tone he used when demanding obedience from the crew. She knew she was not going to be able to hide it for long. The worry was pushing to consume her.

 _What if they can't remove the implants?_

 _You tell me. You are the doctor._

 _Physically, the only danger I can see is the reaction we had when we tried to separate. And it's not really a danger. We may be stuck together._ She heard him laugh at the idea of being joined at the hip. _Mentally and emotionally . . ._

 _Is Deanna's specialty?_ They both fell silent waiting for their brains to understand the implications of a long term connection. _That's not the only thing worrying you._

Again there was silence. It drew out so long Jean-Luc was tempted to look up at his friend to see if she was okay. Then the panic flooded through the link and into his brain like a giant tilde wave.

"Beverly!"

Dr. Selar, who was working over Crusher, froze, examining the bio-readings of her patience. "Dr. Crusher, is something wrong? Captain, what is it?"

This time, Picard did look up, first at Beverly then to the Vulcan. Beverly's emotions had settled, but there was silence. "It's all right doctor. I just respond to a thought Dr. Crusher had."

He left things at that, turning his head back into his arms. The Vulcan returned to work. Beverly remained silent. _Beverly, what is it? Talk to me._

Slowly she opened the gates holding her feelings inside. _What if we don't let them remove the implants?_

 _We can't do that. We don't know the long term effects. We don't know what they will do next._

 _But I don't want to lose you._

 _You're not going to, Beverly. Why would you lose me now?_

 _I like knowing you are only a thought away. I'm addicted. I'm not alone anymore._

 _You have never been alone. You will not be alone._ Picard was shocked at the power Beverly's feeling had. Fear of being alone was almost drowning out everything else. Then there was the strength of her belief she had been alone up until now. _Beverly, what did you find last night?_

 _Love._

 _Do you think after this many years of loving you, I would suddenly stop? That I would allow you to be anything but happy?_

 _You can't control my happiness. Beside, you said things had changed._

 _No, I can't control your happiness, but I can be there to help you reach that happiness. And yes, things have changed, for the better. Beverly, I love you. I will not go away. This ability is not ours._

 _But it has changed so much._

 _Yes. But it will not solve our problems. We will face them together head-on. You just won't be able to read my mind before I say something. We can't function like this. We were already getting on each other's nerves down on the plant. Can you image this for the rest of our lives?_

 _Yes._

It was Picard's turn to go silent. The void was filled by Dr. Selar's voice.

"You can sit up. I need more time to study the implants before I feel safe in removing them. You both will relax better if you are out of main sick bay and comfortable. Both of you need sleep and food. One of the private rooms will be better for you to relax in overnight."

 _No! I want to go home._

Picard glanced at Crusher before speaking to Selar. "Dr. Selar, we have already spent a night with the implants in place with no ill effects. Why is it necessary for us to stay in Sick Bay tonight," Picard asked.

The doctor thought a moment before looking at Crusher. "It is logical for you to stay in Sick Bay so we can observe your condition. Do you not agree, Doctor?"

Crusher pulled herself together as she sat up. "The computer can observe us just as well, Selar. And I can keep an eye on us both."

"If you say so, Doctor. Please return to Sick Bay at 08:00 hours," Selar said, before turning to a new patient.

Picard jumped down from the bed. He guided Crusher off the bed and led her from the medical facility with his hand on her waist. Once out of view, his hand grasped her arm and turned her toward the turbolift. In the lift, the hand slipped into hers and squeezed.

 _Do you hate Sick Bay that much, Doctor?_

 _Just when I am the patient._ Picard nodded in agreement.

 _So, your place or mine_ , he thought exiting the lift at their deck.

 _Yours is fine, if we go by mine first._

Picard led her down the empty hall to her quarters. Beverly moved away from Jean-Luc, quickly gathering personal items.

 _Why don't you take a shower here?_

 _You don't mine waiting?_

 _No. Go ahead. Can I check messages on your computer?_

 _Yes._ Beverly walked into the bathroom and paused. _Jean-Luc?_

 _I'm here Beverly. Is something wrong?_

 _No. Do you feel sick?_

 _No. I feel fine._

 _The distance is getting greater._

 _Yes. I wonder if that is good or bad._

Beverly didn't answer, but started the shower. Jean-Luc sat at her desk in the living room waiting for another comment. When none came, he turned to the computer, entering his personal code. A few messages later he finished and logged out.

 _Beverly, you have messages. Would you like me to check them?_

 _Yes. Crusher-Omega-9-6-4._

 _Lt. Cause sent a thank you note. Star Fleet medical sent an invitation to teach at a workshop on Delia V. I thought you turned that down._

 _I did. They are not taking no for an answer. They think they can harass me into taking it._

Picard laughed at the statement, before going on and stopping in surprise. _Beverly, there's a message from Wesley._

 _Read it!_

 _Are you sure?_

 _Jean-Luc, I would only have to tell you about it later. Read it._

 _Hi, Mom and Captain Picard. Why did he address it to me too?_

 _He always does. He knows I tell you about all his letters._

 _Oh._ Picard smiled. _You would not believe how much material there is to learn. Well, actually, you would, wouldn't you. Ha! Captain, I understand now why you love space exploration. It's hard, but I'm enjoying the academy. I will be on Vulcan in four weeks. What are the chances of you being there? I would love to see you both, if you are not too far out. I will stay as long as you can be there. I will be at Star Base 49 in two weeks. You can leave a message there if you can make it._

Picard paused as Crusher dashed out of the bathroom and round the desk. She lends over his shoulder reading. _While I would love to see the command staff, it is you and the Captain I really want to see. I have so much to tell you. Mom, just go ahead and order the Captain to take vacation._

Both laughed at the usual trueness of the joke. _Can't wait to hear from you. Love you both._ Crusher turned her head and looked directly into Picard's eyes _. So, what are the chances?_

 _Excellent. I would not miss him for anything. When we get to my quarters, I'll do the paperwork and we can reserve passage and accommodations._

Beverly hugged him, her excitement so strong it was like another person in the room. Jean-Luc returned the hug before pushing her toward the bedroom again. _Go get your things. Let's go._

###

In the captain's quarters, Beverly began setting the table for a meal. Jean-Luc went to shower. In the bathroom, he remembered Beverly's question. * _Beverly?_ *

* _I'm here._ *

* _Just making sure. Do you feel all right?_ *

 _*Perfect.*_

He laughed. _*No, not perfect, you are still thinking about soup.*_

* _I'm hungry.*_

* _Then fix it. I will be there before it cools.*_

A few minutes later, Jean-Luc walked out of his bedroom dressed in his favorite clothes; the very clothes that always sent Beverly's thoughts racing. The shirt hung open, showing a large chunk of gorgeous chest. The pants fit almost too perfectly. Before she realized, her thoughts drifted through the link to the object of her attention. Picard stopped in the middle of the room staring at her as her face turned bright red.

* _Wow, what a complement. You should have told me. I would have worn this more often.*_

The softly spoken words caused the doctor to turn brighter red. She turned from the view back to the table, setting the last bowl down.

* _Come eat.*_

* _Yes, ma'am.*_

The two ate in silence, letting stray thoughts drift through the link, with no words spoken. When the meal was finished, Beverly cleaned up as Picard moved to his own computer.

* _In four weeks time, we should be able to catch a Mars Transport to Vulcan from Star Base 10.*_

 _*That sounds good.*_

 _*The mission scheduled for then Riker can handle with ease. Do you care where we stay?*_

 _*No, just somewhere nice.*_

 _*All right. Okay, I have a suite booked for 14 days. That will give us a bed each and central area.*_

 _*Perfect.*_ She turned from the clean table. * _What now?*_

* _Tell me what you meant in Sick Bay.*_

 _*I was being silly. Forget it.*_

 _*No. Tell me. Talk to me about it, Beverly.*_ Beverly turned from him, walking to the windows.

* _I want to hide.*_ The thought slipped through the link before Beverly could stop it.

* _No. I'm not letting you hide.*_

 _*You hide from things.*_

 _*Beverly, you said you wanted the implants left in. Tell me why you want that. Tell me, or I will call Counselor Troi.*_

She turned from the window, resigning herself to telling him the truth rather than dealing with Deanna. _*You would call her, wouldn't you?*_ Sitting on the couch, she looked across the room at him.

"I'm not sure how you do it," her voice sounded a bit strange after so long of only thinking. But saying the words made her feel more comfortable for some reason. "I don't know how you live your life so alone."

"I'm not alone. It may seem that way, but I know you are there. Deanna is there and Will. You are not alone either. If you feel that way, then you need to look around again."

He moved to sit next to her on the couch. Wrapping an arm around her shoulders, he pulled her to him, allowing her to lean on him, her head resting on his shoulder.

"What you said on the planet, about not feeling that way anymore . . ."

"Was true. So was what I thought afterwards, that didn't get through the link."

Beverly turned enough to look in his eyes, "What did I miss?"

Jean-Luc closed his eyes and leaned his head forward, resting his forehead on hers. Relaxing, he pulled down all of the barriers in his mind, allowing all of his feeling for the first time to pour into Beverly's brain.

Beverly gasped at the rush of feelings and grasped his shirt for support. Her mind was filled with desire and needs that Jean-Luc felt. They matched her so well.

"What I felt for you 20 years ago is gone. What exists now is stronger, fuller, and eternal. My lust for you 20 years ago grew, changed, and slowly died while you were married to Jack and after he died. When you came on board, I fell in love, truly in love with you. That is not going to change," Jean-Luc whispered.

"And if you wind up on my operating table," bring her other greatest fear into the light.

"You will do your best to save me. And if you can't, we will have had these years together, as friends, family, and hopefully more. We don't need these implants to tie us together. We will forever be tied together. You are not alone."

His words comforted her. They didn't solve everything, but it eased her guilt and loneliness for now. They were like a sweet song that she never wanted to end. And it never would, she thought.

 _Never. I promise_ , his voice said.

Beverly slipped into sleep, resting against Jean-Luc. He smiled at the peacefulness that claimed her in sleep. He wished that peacefulness could extend to her waking hours as well. That would take time, he knew. There was still so much to be dealt with. He wondered if Beverly even realized how complicated her thoughts were. But they both needed sleep.

He had worried about sleeping arrangements once they reached his cabin. That was not going to be a problem. Rising, he carried her to his bed. Tucking her in, he kissed her forehead. Undressing, he slipped into the bed beside her. She immediately searched out his warmth. Picard slept holding his woman tightly for the first time.

###

The next morning, Picard and Crusher walked into sickbay, fully prepared for the implants to be disconnected. By lunch, the devices were removed. Beverly smiled at Jean-Luc as her staff finished working on her. Picard's implant had been removed first. In all, it had taken only an hour for the mental connection between them to be broken.

Selar read over Crusher reading once more before turning to her boss. "All readings are normal. You should feel no discomfort from the connection. Although, I still advise you both to take some time off."

Crusher smiled at the Vulcan, "How about the rest of the day? I have a vacation coming up in four weeks. That's enough time off for me."

"I concur, doctor," Picard spoke up. "How about we have lunch together and see what trouble we can find."

"Perfect," Beverly said, jumping down from the bed. The couple exits the facility, leaving Selar wondering how she had been left out of the conversation again.

Picard escorted Crusher toward the door. "Now for the next major battle."

"What do you mean," Beverly looked up at Jean-Luc.

"Troi," he said smiling. While he considered the empath a crucial part of his crew and a very good friend, he knew she would want to talk to him and the doctor. In doing so, she would figure out what had happened, on the planet and in his quarters last night. "Do you want her to know about our conversation last night?"

"No," Beverly said, halting just outside of Sick Bay's doors. Her good mood had vanished. "No, its bad enough you had to know."

"Beverly," Jean-Luc whispered. He reached out to lay a hand on her cheek. "I was the right one to know. I was the only one that could help you get over that feeling. Now, the question is, do you need Deanna's help to deal with the rest of it or are you okay?"

"I don't want her to know. I'm fine. I have you, right."

Picard smiled his gentlest smile, and nodded. They turned for the turbolifts to find Riker and Troi waiting for a lift. "Let the game begin." And distraction was its name.

Troi smiled at her friends, "So, how does it feel to not be telepathic again?"

"Wonderful," Crusher said, smiling at her friends as she jumped into the game of distracting Troi. "You would not believe how boring our captain is."

Riker coughed to cover his laugh, turning to Picard, whose only response was a raised eyebrow at Riker, not at Crusher.

"Come doctor, you must have learned some interesting things," Troi continued.

"Oh, yes. Like, he wonders when Will will stop playing mother hen," Crusher joked.

This time, Picard laughed, not trying to cover the humor of Riker's insulted expression. The lift opened and the four entered. Riker called for the bridge, followed by Picard's call for Ten-Forward.

"Number One, the doctor and I will be taking the rest of today off. Expect me on the bridge in the morning. We will resume staff meetings in the morning as well."

"Aye, Captain. What do you have planned for the rest of the day?"

"Oh, something that completely harasses the doctor. I owe her for several insolent comments she has made to me in the last three days."

Troi laughed, looking up at Crusher, "What did you do to him?"

"Nothing. If anything, I owe him for the way he dragged me all over that planet and then kept me awake with his snoring."

The two men, standing side by side, watched the women across the small lift. When they looked at each other, they both rolled their eyes in exasperation.

The women noticed it, both commenting on it.

"What does that look mean, Will Riker," Troi demanded.

"Don't give me that look, Jean-Luc. I gave as well as I took."

The lift doors opened to the bridge, with Troi and Riker exiting. The doors closed on the couple starting to argue. Picard and Crusher laughed at the pair, turning back to one another.

"That was mean," Beverly said.

"You started it. Besides, why should we have all the fun," Picard asked, grasping Beverly hand and pulling her into an embrace. "So, what do we do with the rest of the day?"

"We could plan our trip to Vulcan?"

"Yes, but what about finding something to do on the holodeck?"

"Only, if you get to be Dixon Hill and I get to be your squeeze."

"I like the way you think doctor. Oh, and I do not snore."

###

On the Bridge, Riker and Troi froze just outside the turbolift, their argument halting.

Riker looked at Troi, "Why are we arguing?"

"We have just been set up."

The couple resumed down the ramp to their seats with Riker starting the conversation again, quietly. "What do you mean set up?"

Troi sat still, focusing on Picard, Crusher and the scene in the turbolift. "I was trying to get some idea of how they were in the lift. They both blocked me."

"How does that mean we were set up? Besides, both of them have learned to block you when they want to."

"No, this was different. Beverly jumped in with the jokes and the captain followed her lead. They purposely were teasing us and each other to distract me for sensing anything. But . . ."

"But what," Riker pushed, starting to see the pattern the jokes had led.

"I tried to focus on Beverly and it was the captain's feeling I found. He was projecting his emotions, broadcasting them almost. That is not like him."

"What were his emotions?"

"He was happy, comfortable, looking forward to spending more time with the doctor. But there was also something protective about his feeling. It was like he was trying to cover Beverly's emotions with his own."

"Did you get anything from Beverly?"

"Yes, fear."

The two officers looked at one another for a look second. They knew this would have to be looked into.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two**

Four weeks later, Picard and Crusher waved goodbye to Riker and Troi as they entered the cabin of the Mars Transport vessel taking them to Vulcan. Wesley had relayed a message acknowledging their plans to meet him and the couple had prepared the ship for their two-week absence. For them both, this was the first lengthy vacation they had taken in several years. Added to this was the excitement of seeing Wesley and spending the time together, as a couple, not just coworkers.

The weeks had been hard on them both, between work and avoiding Troi. She had picked up on enough emotions in the turbolift that day to set to probing them both. For Picard, it had been easy to handle her. Twice, she had come to his ready room looking for answers to why Crusher was uncomfortable and unwilling to talk about their stay on Kes-Prytt. He had explained both times, that the implants had allowed the friends to see more than they had been prepared for, but they were working it out. Picard had even gone as far as telling Troi that their friendship had move to the next level and it was taking some getting use to for them both. He had lost count of the number of times Troi had confronted Beverly.

Every time, Beverly had slipped away from Sick Bay within minutes of brushing Troi's concerns and questions off. Each time, she came in search of Picard for reassurance. It was hurting Beverly to hide from her friend and coworker. But the fear of revealing her temporary weakness and the magnitude of her personal needs were greater. That fear manifested itself in the form a nightmare that came after all of the conversations with Troi. Picard knew Troi was the best person to help her, but Beverly was not ready to face the issues yet. All in all, it had drained Beverly to the point, Picard had almost moved up their departure date, just to allow her some peace.

The Mars Transport had started out just as that, a transport between Earth and Mars. Now the company was the largest mass transport in sector 001 and the surrounding sectors. The vessels had increased in size to accommodate more passengers on longer trips, including private suites. It was a modern version of the passenger trains of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Picard had reserved one of the suites, allowing him and Beverly to be completely alone.

After the bags were stored, Picard settled into the corner of the bench seat that doubled as a bed. Crusher ordered tea for them both from the small replicator before sitting next to him. Silence fell between them until after the transport left dock.

Finished with his tea, Jean-Luc seat the cup down and wrapped his arms around Beverly.

"Finish your tea."

'Why?"

"Because, I don't want to spill it."

"Why would you spill my tea, Captain," she flirted.

"The captain is not available. In his place is your man wanting to hold you."

Beverly set the cup away and turned to him, curling up on the bench. He pulled her closer, so she was lying against his chest. "So, you're my man, are you?"

"I better be," he laughed at the archaic phrase. "Why don't you go to sleep?"

"I don't need any sleep."

"Beverly, you have been working nonstop, just like I have, for four weeks. Added to that, we have spent many nights talking until late. I'm not sure how we accomplished everything we did without collapsing. And before you argue, I know the nights you didn't spend with me, you were working in your cabin. You haven't had more than two hours sleep in a 24-hour period in four weeks."

"I have been too excited," she said. Beverly turned in his arms enough to see him, "Can you blame me. And I feel just fine."

"Yes, I know you feel fine, but we have an eight-hour ride ahead of us. Neither of us is going to want to sleep on Vulcan, so why not take advantage of the peace now."

"But I want to talk to you."

"Close your eyes, little girl."

Beverly laughed, burrowing deep into his embrace. Picard knew just how tried she had to be, and that she would refuse to slow down until she was forced to.

The two had spent every minute possible together since Kes-Prytt. They had discussed everything from basic chitchat to ship's business to in-depth discussions of medical and technical issues. Many of those nights, they had finished the evening by falling asleep on the couch, holding one another. They had even discussed their relationship, but never did they move to become more. Beside kissing and some light foreplay, the couple was still just friends.

Somewhere in the back of his mind, Jean-Luc had planned to take their relationship to the next level during this trip. But now that he was here, he didn't know when the time would be right. Maybe it was something that needed to wait until they were back on the ship. Either way, Beverly's slow, deep breaths meant she had fallen asleep and he could do the same without worrying about her.

###

Troi and Riker gave one last wave to their friends as they disappeared into the transport. Troi's smile quickly vanished, as Riker turned to her. "You never did figure out what was up, did you?"

"No, but I did get a message from Wesley. I told him everything that had happened and my concerns for his mother. He said he would see what he could find out."

"Was that a good idea, revealing patient information," Riker said, turning Troi back toward the exit to the star base.

"There really wasn't any patient information to reveal. Neither gave me any information. Neither has shown any signs of trouble. What I have felt from the two have actually been very vague and undefined. And the mission is public knowledge. Wesley said he understood what I meant about Beverly trying to hide something and would try."

"Let's hope he can solve this mystery."

###

Picard was awakened by the ship's intercom announcing final approach to Vulcan. Beverly was curled against his chest still sleeping. He knew from experience that is would take more than the intercom to wake her. Easing out from under her, he left her to a few more minutes of sleep while he showered and changes.

"Wake up, Doctor," he said rather loudly in Beverly's ear five minutes later.

"No."

"Doctor Crusher to the Bridge," Picard said in his sternest voice. The tone reached through Beverly's sleep to bring her to reality instantly.

"What," she jumped, opening her eyes to find Jean-Luc looking her in the eyes. "What did you say?"

"Get up and dress. We are on final approach," he turned gathering their luggage for departure.

Blinking the sleep away, it took her a second to remember where they were. Then she jumped into motion. Within minutes, like Picard, she was dressed and ready to leave. Both dressed in civilian clothes, they could have been tourist from Earth. They exited the transport, looking for signs of Wesley. The greeting outside quickly ruined their image of tourist.

Picard and Crusher found themselves surrounded by Vulcan and Star Fleet officials a few feet out of the docking gate, just as another transport emptied next to them. Running the gambit of welcomes and questions about their "mission" on the planet, the couple continued to search for Wesley Crusher. It amazed Picard at the number of upper officials wanting to speak to himself and his CMO. One officer went as far as saying him and Crusher were seen as VIPs, after all of the amazing things they had done, like defeating the Borg.

The crush between the officials and the other transport was bad enough that Picard wrapped an arm around Beverly to keep her at his side. Fear of being separated from her was so great, he forgot about his aversion of public displays. For Crusher, the arm around her waist was comforting and steadying as she fielded questions.

It was Picard who finally spotted their favorite cadet while he told a Star Fleet commander for the fourth time that he and Beverly were merely on Vulcan for a vacation. Catching the cadet's eye for help, Picard swore he would have someone's head for leaking his and Crusher arrival without providing an explanation.

Wesley, having arrived late at the gate, quickly assessed the situation and dove into the crowd. Catching his mother's arm, he noticed Picard's arm around her. He briefly wondered how much their relationship had changed since he left the Enterprise and if it had anything to do with the weird feelings Troi had been sensing from his mother. Filing the thought away for later, he and Picard began pushing through the officials, protecting Crusher from the crush of people. Ten minutes later, they had lost the officials in the docking area and exited the building.

"Mom, what have I told you about attracting attention to yourself. It is very unbecoming a high ranking Star Fleet officer," Wesley said once clear of the building.

Laughing at her son, Beverly pulled the men to a stop and hugged her son, "It wasn't me this time. It was Jean-Luc. You know how he loves a crowd."

Picard watched the small family greet, before he touched Wesley on the shoulder. "What did you do, Wesley? Tell everyone on Vulcan we were coming?"

"Nope, you can blame that on my instructor," the young man smile, embracing his former captain and stand-in father. "I made the mistake of mentioning my Mom and a good friend were meeting me here between training drills. Knowing who my Mom was, he was curious to know who she was traveling with. I didn't realize he needed something to use in name-dropping games. From there, it spread."

Beverly smiled at the sour look on her two men's faces, "You didn't add that we were on vacation?"

"No one listened to that. I am official on R&R as of this morning, and have my bags packed. Please tell me you have room for me to stay with you."

It was Picard's turn to smile, "I booked a suite at the Planet East Hilton with three bedrooms. One for each of us. Let's swing by for your bags and catch a runner shuttle to the other side of the planet."

The trio started out, heading for the Star Fleet training facility close to the docking bay. He leds them into the two story building and up stairs. He pushed into his quarters, grabbing his bag. Just as they thought they would escape the building without being noticed, Wesley's roommate and his trainer turned the corner. Wesley groaned under his breath as the trainer approached Picard.

"Jean-Luc, good to see you again. Welcome to Vulcan. Is Cadet Crusher showing you around the facility?"

Picard immediately recognized the lieutenant's arrogance and remembered who was to blame for the crush at the dock. He stepped in front of Wesley and Beverly, slipping into his captain persona without a trace of a smile. "Lieutenant, the cadet tells me it was you who informed the planet officials of Commander Crusher's and mine arrival."

"Yes, sir," the trainer replied a little concerned that he had screwed up. Picard completely ignored his hand held out for a shake. He was also a bit confused at the use of Crusher's Fleet rank, but his ego quickly took over again. "It is only fitting that dignitaries, such as you and Doctor Crusher, be welcomed to the planet. Look at it this way, now you don't have to report to duty," he said laughing.

"Funny, I don't remember a regulation requiring me or my chief medical officer to report to duty when on vacation. Especially, since I was the highest ranking officers at the dock. Tell me Lieutenant, who is your commanding officer?"

"Commander Provos, sir."

"I haven't talked to John is several months. I will have to look him up after my R&R and tell him about his officer that can't keep his mouth shut."

Wesley watched the exchange in a bit of awe. His mother had followed Picard's lead perfectly, putting on her command face as easily and quickly as Picard. She had then stepped up close to Picard, helping him form a line of authority the mere lieutenant didn't have a chance of breaking. Then, with every word Picard spoke, he watched his trainer's arrogance and ill manners deflate as it dawned on him just how badly he had screwed up. Wesley hid a smile, knowing he would have no more pointed questions about his famous mother and captain.

When Picard had finished, the younger officer stammered an apology before saluting and leaving quickly. Picard and Crusher turned back to Wesley, letting their humor escape for the first time.

"Any more rude officers you would like us to intimidate, Wesley," Picard asked, sending Wesley into laughter.

"Wow, you are good," Wesley roommate said, speaking for the first time.

Crusher turned to him, "You should see him handle admirals. Truly an amazing sight to behold." Crusher and Picard finally laughed and greeted Wesley's friend. The trio was soon headed for the other side of the planet and their vacation as a family.

###

"So, Mom, how are things on the ship," Wesley asked, watching his mother unpack her bags.

"Good. Although, I think, the captain is a little tired of playing diplomat. One too many diplomatic missions lately. Geordi and Data have created a couple new holodeck programs. When those two put their heads together, the result is a bit frightening."

Wesley laughed at the look on his mother's face. "One of the programs was for Worf and his security drills. All three of them decided the rest of the senior staff should run the drill. I hurt for a week after that thing."

"Let me guess, they programmed a bunch of Klingons bent on destroying the ship?"

"That and a couple of Borg thrown in for good measure. A Borg caught me in the shoulder and knocked me into a wall. I felt like a ball in a racquetball game," she laughed.

"How are the counselor and the commander?"

"Good. Although, Deanna is seeing Worf now."

"What?"

"Not kidding," Beverly said, turning to see Jean-Luc walking in. "Tell him about Deanna and Worf."

Flopping down on the bed, Jean-Luc looked Wesley in the eye, "It is scary to think of Worf and little Deanna. Although I try not to think about them at all."

"You should see them at the poker game now," Beverly cut in, laughing.

Wesley listened as the two officers continued describing life on board the star ship. When Beverly finished unpacking, she rounded the bed to sit next to Jean-Luc, with no signs of realizing what she had done. Wesley noted the action and swore he would have these two together before they left for the Enterprise, if they weren't already more than friends. It was while he was planning things to push the two together and only half listening that Kes-Prytt was brought up.

"Wait a minute, they implanted you with a device that linked your brain patterns," Wesley broke in. Even thought Deanna had told him about the mission, he had to make these two believe he was clueless.

Beverly nodded, "Yes, except when we broke out, the devices calibrated to each other and not the Kes computer. So, Jean-Luc and I were able to hear each other's thoughts."

Wesley smiled wickedly, "And what did you two learn about one another?"

Picard said, "Wipe that smirk off your face, young man. Our thoughts are private."

"Yes, sir. Come on, Mom, what secrets did you learn?"

Both officers exclaimed at his obvious joke.

"I think it is time for us to head out for lunch," Picard said. Beverly stood in agreement and the three headed out.

###

On their second day on the planet, Picard and Crusher stood waiting for Wesley to finish a purchase in the street market district of the city. Picard had been right about there being no sleep for the trio. After returning from supper the evening before, they had sat up until 04:00 talking about the academy and the Enterprise. On barely four hours of sleep, the three had set out to conquer the street market. So far, the only truly great discovery for Jean-Luc was some Vulcan cookies that could only be found on the planet.

"Where do you want to go next, fearless leader," Picard joked, leaning against a wall eating his find. Beverly stood next to him leaning close, while holding several bags of merchandise she had found.

Laughing, she turned to him, "You sound like you are not having fun, Jean-Luc."

"Shopping is not my forte."

"If you had not come, you would not have found those cookies."

"Yes, I would have. I would have just called room service."

"You are not fun," Beverly said in disgust. Picard only laughed at her.

"We haven't had much time together, have we," he asked, dropping his tin of cookies into one of Beverly's bags, before taking a couple of the bags from her.

"Did you expect us to? Beside, we've only been here one day."

"I know. We'll have to take another vacation together, just the two of us," he pulled her in front of him and back between his legs to relax against him. Beverly sighed at the causal action and leaned into him.

"Are you okay," he asked after several quiet second.

"Sure, why?"

"Beverly, we haven't discussed our conversation the first night after Kes-Prytt again, or your reaction. We have talked all around it."

Beverly looked down, letting her hair fall to hide her face; she then tried to stand up straight. Picard wrapped his arms around her, holding her in place. "Don't hide from me," he whispered.

"I'm not. Wesley's coming this way. This isn't the time." She pulled out his arms and head for Wesley, smiling.

Picard paused before following. Beverly was ignoring the problem, instead of dealing with it. That frightened him. While she was not acting overtly different, there was a sense of self-consciousness about her that Wesley would eventually notice. The young man was not likely to ignore the change and when he did notice it, he would question it. Picard hoped Beverly was prepared to deal that.

###

It was two days before Wesley was able to corner his Mom again. "Mom, are you and the captain all right?"

The mother and son sat next to the inside swimming pool at their hotel. Picard had wondered off to look for reading material, leaving the couple alone. Both lay on loungers next to the pool, their swim suits still damp from participating in a game of water volleyball. At the question, Beverly picked up her towel and started drying her hair, hiding part of her face. "Sure, why do you ask?"

"Well, you are on vacation together. That is usual in itself. Then there is a certain mission you two just completed where you were held prisoners."

"Wesley, the Kes didn't torture us. They just stuck little devices in our neck. No harm was done."

"Mom, are you telling me, you didn't learn anything about the captain during that time that changed your relationship?"

Beverly pulled the towel down to look at her son. She had never lied to him. "Yes, the captain and I learned a lot about each other. And yes, it has changed our relationship, like allowing us to come together on this trip. But you make it sound like something should be wrong. There isn't."

"So, are you to seeing each other now?"

Beverly finally laughed, "Why, worried I'm going to give you an evil stepfather?"

"Yeah, I wish," he paused. He had no way of knowing if he was pushing too hard. "There's something you are not telling me, Mom."

"There is nothing to tell. Goodness, you sound just like Troi."

Their conversation ended as Picard walked back up carrying drinks for them all. "Oh, nice, talk about me while I'm gone and then stop talking just as I walk up."

"It was all good, Jean-Luc," Beverly said taking the drink. She looked at him hoping he would get an idea of the conversation's topic. Picard paused catching her eyes and then he nodded once and quick so Wesley didn't notice it. "What do you think of going to the Betazoid restaurant tonight?"

"We just had lunch. You cannot be hunger again."

"Yes, I can."

Wesley watched his mother and the captain teasing each other. Their relationship was definitely stronger and more comfortable. Troi had said, Picard had told her his and Crusher relationship had changed and they were working on dealing with that change. But there was still something not right. His mother had always been so strong, yet, it was like Picard was trying to protect her.

Later that night found Wesley and Picard waiting on Beverly to finish dressing. They had sat down with drinks in the central area discussing minor things. Wesley took a chance on the timing.

"Captain," Picard through up a hand.

"I told you, it's Jean-Luc. I am on vacation and so are you. There is no reason to remind me of work."

Wesley laughed, "Do you have any idea how hard that is?"

"Yes, right after I became a captain, Admiral Quinn told me to call him by his first name. It took me three months to get use to it. You can do it too."

"Okay, Jean-Luc, as horrid as this sounds what is your intentions toward my mother?"

"All evil," he said laughing. Picard had been prepared for that question. "What would you say if I told you I planned on asking her to marry me?"

"I would say about damn time," Wesley smiled. "Have you and Mom gotten that close?"

"We are on our way. There's a lot to deal with for two officers, like us, when starting a relationship and during that relationship. We are working on those issues. One day, I hope I am calling you about a wedding."

"And the mission on Kes-Prytt, did that help or hurt?"

"That is an interesting question coming from you?"

"What little Mom has told me about the mission, there's something she isn't telling. She gets this look in her eyes. Did they do something more than the implants?"

"No, all there was were the implants. Other than the fact that we were being held prisoners unjustly," Picard wondered where Wesley was heading with this conversation. Whatever he was searching for, Picard knew he had to distract the younger man. "Wesley, there was a lot of information exchanged during those two days. It was unnerving to suddenly hear your mother's voice in my head and to know she could hear mine the same way," Picard explained.

Leaning forward, he continued, "For example, I didn't know your mother's fear of heights was so strong. She had mentioned it before, but it has never stopped her on missions. We came up on an all-most sheer cliff that we had to climb. She took one look and I felt her fear, pure panic, at facing that thing. It was enlightening. I saw a side of your mother I have never seen before. And I know she saw the same in me."

"Is that why you have become so protective?"

Before Picard could think of an answer, Beverly walked into the room. Both men stood to greet her, but before she reached them, Picard leaned into Wesley, "Wouldn't you protect something so lovely?"

Wesley could only nod.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter Three**

A few days later, Wesley was at the end of his rope. Neither the captain nor his mother was letting onto where their relationship was going, which left Wesley wondering how he could help the couple. Mixed in with that, Troi's message kept running through his head.

Walking through a Vulcan museum with Beverly and Picard, Wesley replayed part of Troi's message for the hundredth time.

"Wesley, your mother was afraid of something. The only times I have ever felt that kind of fear from her was facing the Borg," Troi had said during the message. "Just as unusual were Captain Picard's actions. He purposely let his emotions be felt. He knew, in doing so, he would distract me from your mother. Something happened on the planet or their first night back on the ship. Something so distressful for your mother, she is hiding from me, and the captain is helping her. It is not healthy, professionally or personally."

Wesley was drawn back from his thoughts by the sound of his mother's voice.

"Jean-Luc, if you want to visit the dig, then go!"

"But I want you both to come with me. Wesley, would you like to go to the dig these artifacts came from?"

They were standing in front of a large case displaying remains from the earliest known Vulcan settlement. The artifacts had only recently been discovered and researchers were still excavating the site.

"Yeah, I would love to go. I read the first paper to come off of this find. The site sounds exciting."

Picard turned back to Beverly with a smile on his face. "All right, Jean-Luc, go ask permission. I will help you two play in the dirt for one day," she laughed as Picard turned immediately and heads for the curator standing not far away.

Turning to Wesley, she said, "Who knows, I could make the botany discovery of the decade while you two are worrying about clay pots."

Wesley smiled and led her to a bench nearby, "Might as well sit. He'll be a while."

They were quiet for a few minutes while people milled around them, studying the displays. Wesley decided to take a more direct approach and took a deep, steadying breath.

"Okay, I have to know, Mom. Are you and the captain sleeping together?"

"Wesley!" Beverly's embarrassment and anger were obvious.

"Come on, Mom. You two can't be in the same room without touching one another. He is always beside you with his hand around your waist. You turn to him immediately when something happens. He is as protective of you as a father is of his child. You're always whispering to one another, and smiling at one another. He even willingly dances with you. If you are finally a couple, why aren't you sharing a bedroom? I would not mind."

Beverly had turned pink at her son's first question. By the end of his speech, she was bright red. "Wesley, this is none of your business."

"It is when it means the happiness of my mother. If you two are not a couple, then what is holding you back?"

"There is a lot more involved than just deciding to be a couple."

"There doesn't have to be. You cannot tell me you two didn't move forward after Kes-Prytt."

"A lot happened on Kes-Prytt and after that mission," she said, turning away from her son. "Some things helped and some things didn't. We are working on it. I'm glad you approve of the possibility, but that's all it is. We are just good friends. Friends can be protective of one another, can't they?"

"Mom that cannot be right. From my point of view, there is only one of two things happening. Number one, you have moved on in the relationship and, for some reason, want to hide it. If that is the case, there is no reason to hide it. You're right, I approve. Be happy and comfortable on this vacation. Move in with him," he said

"Number two, something has happened that has made him protective of you. If that is the case, my guess is it happened on Kes-Prytt. If you were hurt in some way, please don't hide it from me. Let me help you. You and Captain Picard are the two most important people in my life. I refuse to stand by and watch you hurt in anyway. Now, what is going on?"

The memory of the night on Kes-Prytt flashed through Beverly's brain. They both had lain down to sleep, but Beverly could not relax. Suddenly there were images in her head that made up Picard's dreams. He had dreamed of home and of showing his France to someone. While he never said her name and she never saw herself in the dream, she had known it was her he was showing around the vineyard. It was in that moment she became what she called addicted. It was that safe, warm dream world she wanted to visit and stay in. And after four weeks of pushing away the over whelming desire to escape back into that dream world, it came rushing back. The need struck her hard and she immediately looked for Picard. Her fear was she would never be part of the dream, that is didn't exist. That, in reality, she was completely alone and it was only in her deluded mind that she had any security.

"Mom?"

She had to answer him somehow and she had to get to Jean-Luc. The two needs were warring. Raising her voice, more than she intended, she turned on her son with the first thing that came to mind, "Yes, we have moved on." Realizing her how loud she was, she lowered her voice while glancing to see if Jean-Luc had heard. "Yes, we are a couple. Yes, we are sleeping together. And, no, I will not move into his bedroom just to satisfy yours or anyone else's idea of what a couple should be. Now, drop it."

She jumped up from the bench and headed for Picard, leaving a shocked Wesley sitting on the bench. Picard had not heard a word of the lie.

###

Having learned their lesson about staying up all night talking, the trio was deep in sleep when the first whimper sounded. It was another few moments before the scream reached Picard and Wesley. There was no hesitation on Picard's part since sound was all too familiar.

The suite the group shared consisted of two bedrooms to the left of the central area and one to the right. Jean-Luc and Beverly had taken the two bedrooms next to one another, while Wesley had settled across the suite. Wesley had just reached his own door when he saw the captain entering his mother's room.

He found the older man trying to calm his mother's fighting arms, and his mother's leg aiming for Picard's blind side. Lunging forward, the younger man caught her legs before she could make contact. Picard finally grasped her arms enough for him to wrap his arms around her and stop her dream's fight. After the one scream, her cries had settled into whimpers and pleas for help.

Cradling her close, Jean-Luc started talking to her quietly, "Beverly, it's all right, I'm here. So is Wesley. You're okay, dear. Beverly, wake up. It's just the dream. You are okay. We're here with you."

With every word, Wesley watched his mother calm. It had been a couple of years since he had witnessed the dream's effects on his usually strong mother. He watched her eyes slowly open to see him and Picard sitting on the bed, before burying her head in Picard's shoulder.

Picard bent his head over her, pulling her into his arms more securely. Whispering in her ear so Wesley could not hear, he said, "It was the Arvada III dream."

It took a moment for the meaning of the words to make sense for Beverly, "The same old dream." She slowly pulled herself up, so she could see Jean-Luc and Wesley. "I'm sorry. I woke you both up over a silly dream."

Wesley smiled at her, "It's not silly and don't worry about waking us. Are you okay?"

"I'm fine, go on back to bed."

Wesley stood, "Are you sure? I can stay with you if you like."

"No, go ahead. I think Jean-Luc is planning on staying no matter what I say," said looking up into Jean-Luc's face.

"Go on Wesley, I'll take care of your mother," Picard said, not realizing this fit perfectly with what Wesley expected and the lie Beverly had told earlier. Wesley went back to his room, while Picard and Crusher settled more comfortably on the bed.

Whispering just in case Wesley could still hear, Picard said, "You haven't had that dream in over a week. I wonder what brought it on now."

"I guess it was just time for my psych to scare me again."

"Was it the same nightmare?"

"Yes, I was on that damn cliff, hurt and I could see all of you below. It was like you couldn't hear me or see me. Then something grabs me and starts pulling me away from you. Gods, I hate this."

Jean-Luc just pulled her closer, "It's over and I'll stay with you. So, close your eyes and sleep."

Beverly smiled as she turned on her side to cuddle up to Picard, "Why is it you are always telling me to go to sleep?"

"It's for your own good, that's for sure." Within seconds, Beverly was asleep again. It never failed, thought Picard, the dream exhausted her to the point she had no choice but to go back to sleep.

Easing away from her, he tiptoed back to his room for his pajama top and robe. When Beverly screamed, he had not worried about only being in shorts, now his modesty was screaming. Before going back into her bedroom, he checked that the boy's room was dark and closed the bedroom door.

He had missed holding her the last several nights and even had a hard time going to sleep without her he thought easing back into bed. Several times he had been tempted to come join her, but had stopped at the idea of facing Wes the next morning. Even if the boy did approved of him becoming involved with his mother, Picard felt awkward about doing it so blatantly. Well, he had a good reason tonight.

As he lay holding her, the scene replayed itself in his mind's eye. It had been close just now, he thought, but Beverly had remembered their plan well. She had no desire for Wesley to know she was now plagued by a second nightmare. Having suffered from a nightmare left over from the Arvada III disaster all of her life, Beverly knew Wesley would assume it was the same and understand. And really, they were not lying to the cadet about the dream.

The dream had taken on parts of the old Arvada dream. When Beverly was only 10, an unexpected earthquake hit the small colony, cutting them off from the Federation and destroying their village. The year and half that followed saw many of Beverly's friends die and her grandmother turn back to the old ways to help the survivors.

Hitting about two p.m., the quake caught Beverly in the mountains that ran behind the village, almost killing her. She had been on a small path about two miles from her home when the earth had given way and dropped 20 feet. When the tremor ended, a small cliff was all that was left of the path and she had broken her leg. Had she been able to use the leg, she could have gotten down herself, but instead had to wait more than 12 hours for her family to find her. She had also developed her fear of heights that day. The drop off the cliff had been about 40 feet, but seemed longer to the frightened and hurt 10-year-old. When night set in, the temperature had dropped to freezing, leaving her with a small flashlight and a light blanket that she had always carried in her back pack in case of emergencies. For years, she had dreamed of lying on that cliff again and no one finding her.

The dream now started the same way. When she looks over the cliff for help, she finds all of her friends and family, including Picard, Wesley and the late Jack Crusher, seated below her at a picnic. She screams for help, but no one notices her. Then she feels several hands grasp her from behind and lift her off the cliff and away from the group. The group never notices her or her cries. The whole time, she knows she is alone and will always be alone, if her friends don't rescue her.

She had the nightmare three nights in a row, right after Kes-Prytt. It had then become the result of her confrontations with Troi. They all ended the same way, Beverly screaming and fighting off the hands dragging her away. Picard fell asleep wondering what on the planet could have caused a reaction so strong.

###

Morning found Beverly quieter than usual. She had woken up next to Jean-Luc and for a moment relished in the feel of safety in his arms. When memories of the night before surfaced, she curled into his warmth to hide for a few more minutes.

The group relaxed in their room that morning talking, before going to an afternoon concert a few blocks from their hotel. It was after dinner when they returned to their room. Beverly headed straight for her bedroom, leaving the two men looking to one another for answers.

"Is it just me, or has mother been acting unusual," Wesley asked first.

"The nightmare has thrown her," Picard said, sitting facing her door. "Did something happen yesterday that would have brought the dream on?"

Wesley thought back to the conversation in the gallery. He couldn't see how that would cause this kind of reaction and was not about to tell Picard what he had done. "No."

Both men knew there was something more than what was being said. Beverly had started the day out quiet and had turned within herself more and more as the day went on. Picard doubted she had heard a note of the concert. Wesley was left more worried about what Troi had said.

Once again that night, the men were awakened by a scream. Wesley followed Jean-Luc into the room to find his mother fighting her unseen demons harder than ever before. For a full ten minutes, the men fought to keep from being pummeled while trying to restrain her. The whole time, Picard talked, calling to Beverly and in the end begging her to wake up. She came to with a second scream.

"Beverly," Jean-Luc called her name, finally grasping her shoulders and pushing her back down on the bed. Wesley landed on the bed, controlling her legs and waist. Gasping for breath, Beverly stared blindly through the two men before breaking down in tears, "Jean-Luc, help me."

He pulled her up into his arms, holding her like a small child as she cried for the first time since Kes-Prytt. Picard looked up at Wesley, "Wesley, go get some of the brandy."

While the young man was gone, Picard pulled Beverly away so he could look into her face, "Beverly, calm down, or we are not going to be able to hide this from Wesley. Let's get him back to bed and then you can collapse."

Wesley returned to find the scene the same as he had left it, except his mother had calmed. She took the glass from him, sipping slowly with shaking hands while trying to catch her breath.

"Mom," Wesley asked, looking between her and Picard.

Picard jumped in, "It's okay Wes. Same dream, just a little darker this time."

"I'll be okay. Go on back. . . ." Beverly started but was interrupted by Wesley.

"No, don't tell me everything is okay. Mother, what is wrong?"

"Nothing, Wesley," she couldn't look her son in the eyes.

"Bull shit!"

"Wesley," Picard admonished.

"No, you will not send me out, hiding whatever is going on! Mother, what is wrong," Wesley's voice begins slowly rising.

Beverly looked up at him, feeling all of her panic boiling to the top. She couldn't tell him. He would never forgive her.

Picard pulled away from Beverly, standing over Wesley, "Outside, now! That is an order, Cadet."

Wesley started at Picard for a full 30 seconds before standing and leaving. Picard followed him out, shutting the bedroom door. In the middle of the room, Picard grasped Wesley's shoulder, turning him around. "I don't care how worried you are, you do not talk to your mother that way! Yes, something is wrong. Pushing her is not going to solve the problem. And being disrespectful to her is only going to piss me off! She doesn't need us at each other's throat."

"Then tell me what is wrong," Wesley said stepping up to Picard to face off.

"It's hard to explain," Picard said, riling in his anger. "Yes, something happened on Kes-Prytt, but it is between your mother and me."

"Then why is she having this nightmare?"

Picard struggled to find an answer. Lying would do no good, but he had to distract the boy until he and Beverly could talk. Then he remembered their rescue. "At the end of our time on the planet, we were running from a group of Kes soldiers. We had reached the border between Kes and Prytt and the security force field that separated the two nations, when they caught up with us. Your mother managed to open a gap in the field, pushing me through. It closed before she could come through and she paid for my safety with her own capture. The links were still in place, Wes. She was scared, but she would do anything to protect me. I was helpless."

Picard turned around and crossed to the windows looking over the city. "If Riker had not already set up our release, she would have been . . . ," he paused, shuddering at the memory. "We owe Riker a lot. For the past couple of weeks, we have both been struggling with those last few minutes on the planet. Can you blame your mother for remembering a time when she was just as alone as she was in Kes?"

Wesley stood staring at Picard wondering how he could argue with that when he knew there was more. Troi had not told him about that part of the mission, so maybe it was the cause of the nightmares and it did explain why Picard was being so protective.

Saying nothing to Picard, Wesley turned and walked back into his mother's bedroom. Picard followed him to find the boy hugging his mother tight. Beverly looked at Jean-Luc questioningly, who could only shrug.

Wesley pulled away from his mother, "I'm sorry. Call me if you need me." The young man left the room.

After the door was shut, Beverly looked up at Picard, "What did you tell him?"

"Not the truth. I told him about you pushing me across the border and blamed everything on that great sacrifice."

"I can live with that. You won't leave tonight, will you?"

"No. In fact, expect me to be here from now on. I won't leave you to face the dreams alone again," he said, climbing into the bed and easing them both down, so he held her in a spoon fashion. "We'll talk about this in the morning. You need some sleep."

###

The next morning, the trio boarded a cargo transport to take them to the excavation site. In the end, Picard had persuaded Beverly to stay at the site overnight, giving them more time to see the work being done. They had rose at dawn to pack some clothes and meet the transport that already had their camping gear. If anything, Picard thought, this would be an adventure in the wilderness. Some 120 kilometers from a town, he had been warned the accommodations at the site were extremely limited.

Picard and Wesley watched Beverly as she climbed aboard and found a place to sit, looking out a port hole. Designed for cargo, the transport had no seats, leaving Beverly to use her backpack as a cushion on the floor. Picard chose to sit on a box of supplies for the site so he could be close to the doctor and still see what was happening in the pilot area, while Wesley, after checking on his mother, wandered to the back.

After takeoff, Picard's thoughts turned to Beverly again. She had not said a word since leaving the bedroom that morning. Before they had rose, they had talked a few minutes about the dream and Beverly had assured him she would be fine on the trip. They had continued to talk while they dressed and packed, but once in front of Wesley, she had become mute. Jean-Luc had been prepared to distract Wesley from his mother, but there had been no need. He had not pushed for any explanations or discussion of the night before. It was Jean-Luc that needed distracting from Beverly's plea for help ringing in his ears and no way of providing that help.

They arrived at the site, to be greeted by several of the resident scientists and the heat of Vulcan's equator. The three quickly dropped their gear at the camp site, before heading for different parts of the site - Wesley to help dig in a new area with a Vulcan college student, Picard with the lead scientist trying to decipher several large finds, and Beverly with another scientist to study plant and animal remains. At lunch, the group reassembled to eat.

Beverly returned to Jean-Luc's side the second he stepped into view of the camp. While more talkative and animated, it was obvious to Picard something was still bothering his friend, especially when she cut Wesley off to remain at Picard's side as he crossed the camp. Seeing she was intent on staying close, Picard arranged for her to return with him to the larger finds. Just before the group broke up, he managed to slip away from her long enough to let Wesley know that he and Beverly would be spending the afternoon with the lead archeologists.

The main focus of the site was four large stone pillars, circled in ancient Vulcan hieroglyphics and far older than any other artifacts ever found on Vulcan. Four archeologists were working with a large, remote computer to piece together a meaning for the pillars. Picard was fascinated by the artwork's detail, as much as the meaning of the words, and was enjoying providing a detailed explanation of the work being done to Beverly, when he noticed her absent expression.

"Beverly, I'm boring you," he asked, drawing her attention back to him. They sat several meters from the other scientists, who were working on a different pillar. "I asked you to come with me because you were glued to my side. If you would rather go back to the genetic studies, don't worry about offending me."

"Oh, no. I would rather stay with you," she said, looking down at the tricorder she'd been playing with for several minutes.

Picard glanced over her head to see that the others had continued to the farthest pillar, well out of hearing distance. They seemed so intent on their study of the pillar; he took the chance to cuddle Beverly in his arms. When she tensed slightly at the public gesture, he shook his head. "They want me to go over all the pillars and give them my opinion, they're staying clear so I can study in peace and won't notice us."

"Oh," she said relaxing against him.

"Look at me," Jean-Luc said, leaning closer to her. When she looked up at him, he smiled, "Smile for me? Please."

Beverly couldn't resist his gentle side. Smiling as he asked, she thought back to his promise from the night before. "Answer a question for me. What are we going to do about sleeping arrangements?"

"Well, since the curator took it upon himself to tell the camp leader we were a couple, we have to do nothing. I checked on that right after we got here. We have a tent all to ourselves. Wesley will be bunking with the other college students here this week. Is that what has been bothering you all day?"

"No," she said, laying her head on his shoulder and returning his embrace. "I just thought of it, so I asked."

"Then tell me what is wrong. Is the dream still bothering you?"

"No, I guess I'm just in a blue funk."

"You have Wesley worried again."

"My hero will distract him though."

"And who might that be, since I am tired of doing it?"

Beverly lifted her head to smile at Jean-Luc, "Fine, I'll entice my man to do it for me."

Surprised at her sudden change in moods, Picard paused before joining her in flirting, "Your man wishes night would fall soon, so he can curl up with you in that tent."

"Promises, promises."

"You are in a strange mood. You have been silent all day and now you're teasing me. Take pity on me and tell me what is going on in your head."

"This morning I was thinking about the dream, trying to play doctor to myself."

"Does that mean you are finally willing to talk to Troi?"

"No, it means I'm working on it. This afternoon, I have decided I want to enjoy the day with you, even if you are playing in the dirt."

Picard laughed, "You will be the end of my sanity." He watched Beverly activate her tricorder again and go back to work inspecting the pillar. Picard could only shake his head and resume his own inspection.

The workers went to their respective tents early that night, so they could rise with the sun the next morning. Fortunately, Picard did not have to distract Wesley from Beverly, since he found one of the Terran students more interesting and the couple barely saw their cadet that evening. After changing to comfortable sleeping clothes, the couple curled together in their double sleeping bag for the night, quickly falling asleep in each other's arms.

Beverly woke to see their small clock reading 01:32. A small fire had been left burning not far from their tent and it still cast a glow through the blue tent fabric. The night was filled with the quiet sounds of night-creatures and a slight wind had come up while they slept. Their gear lined one side of the tent, leaving the rest of the room to the two light sleeping bags they had put together as a bed with their one shared pillow. She lay with her back pressed to him and his arms, as well as one of his legs, wrapped around her.

For some reason, she didn't want to go back to sleep and was a bit amazed the dream had not come. Maybe it wasn't such a bad idea to lay awake, when she could feel him so close, Beverly thought. In her mind's eye an old fantasy played that portrayed her as a braver woman, who could turn over and kiss him without fear. If she was a braver woman, they would have been lovers by now, but here she laid waiting for him to make the first move. She didn't need to be brave to lie in his arms and enjoy the safety. She had her dream for the moment, she thought, laughing at herself.

Picard came awake with the feeling Beverly was also awake. "Are you asleep?"

"No," she whispered after a pause, startled from her dreams.

"What are you doing staring at the dark," he whispered back, moving his head directly above her ear.

"Thinking about you."

Picard thought about her answer for several minutes. What he had said the night before was true, he would not be leaving her to face her dreams alone again, so, what was he waiting for, he wondered. He could not leave her, yet he hesitated in touching her while he loved her more every day. Why wait?

He gently rolled her over to face him. When she looked into his eyes, he knew the time was right. He touched his lips to her forehead, then her nose. "I love you. If you don't want this, tell me now."

"I love you, Jean-Luc. I have for what seems like forever and I know I always will. But most of all, I need you now, touching me and loving me."

They sealed their love with a long, sweet kiss. Ending it, Jean-Luc pulled away enough to run his hands down her body, pulling their clothes away on the trip back up. Touching her was heaven for him, no one was so perfect. Her sighs of pleasure drove him on, while his hunger for her taste was overwhelming. Jean-Luc knew that once he tasted the sweetness of Beverly, he would never be able to find pleasure with someone else. The need gnawed at his soul and consumed his thoughts.

Careful not to wake the others, Picard trailed kisses down Beverly's body, following his hands. He had waited so long for this, finding his dreams of her could not compare. Beverly's hands found their way to his chest, pushing him to the edge by their learning path across his body. He had wanted to go slowly the first time, wanting her on the edge like him. Looking up her body to her face, he saw her looking back at him. Using his knees to spread her legs, he knelt before her, trailing kisses along her inner-thighs.

Beverly felt her skin electrify as she felt his hands everywhere and his lips trailing behind. She couldn't touch him enough, or get close enough, as he whispered to her in his native tongue, drawing her body forward in search of the home he offered her. This went far beyond her fantasies; passion was enveloping her, filling her brain, turning her away from the nightmares.

Beverly had seen Jean-Luc nude before as his physician, but she had never been able to simply touch him for the pleasure of touching. Sliding her hands across his shoulders, she arched up to reach more of him, with his lips driving her wild. Cradling his head, she guided him to the warmth he seemed bent on avoiding. The first touch of his tongue shook her to her core. Lovemaking had never been this powerful, she thought, moaning, as reason left her, Jean-Luc knew just how to touch her.

The sound of Beverly's moan drew Jean-Luc's head up. Crawling forward, he forced her to lie back down. "You are too eager. And, you have to be quiet."

"Then hurry," she said, pulling his lips to her mouth, where she could taste herself. Jean-Luc's hands found her breast and held her still, as he lowered his head to take one. Beverly felt the world spin, and grasped his shoulders for support. Moving to the other waiting breast, he moved one hand to replace his lips between her legs. Using the lightest of touches, he aroused her to the point of fulfillment, pulling back completely before she found it.

"Don't stop, please Jean-Luc, I need you." She had believed for a long time Jean-Luc was the only thing in the universe that could fill the hole in her heart. Medicine, research, exploration could not compare; they were only stop gaps on the road to this. So many times she had buried herself in work to distract herself from her need for Jean-Luc, all of which was trivial now. Never again would that be necessary.

Smiling, he just looked at her for a moment before drawing her eyes to his, "I want to see you. I want to see your desire. Make me believe this is real and not a dream."

Never breaking eye contact, he buried himself in her heat. Home, he thought, it was so good to finally be home. He created a rhythm that drew Beverly along with him toward their goal. The stars would never be as beautiful as she was, he thought, and never would they be his mistress again.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter Four**

The next day, work made the day speed by for the Crushers and Picard. At the end of the day, they waved goodbye to their new friends before heading back to their hotel via a specially sent runner shuttle. Discussing the dig, they spent the evening in their room.

Wesley could see a marked difference in his mother that evening. She was still not back to normal, but there was an obvious change in her. He noticed the way Picard sat angled toward her on the couch, holding her hand, while she would touch his arm or back to emphasis a point and her laugh came easier when Picard was talking. Before, he called their touching protective, but now, he called it intimate. He wondered why it would change now, if they had been intimate since Kes-Prytt. Wesley did not question them when his mother and Picard turned in before him, both going into Beverly's bedroom and shutting the door.

It gave him time to think about the couple and everything that had come before. Picard had almost set his mind at ease after the second nightmare, but something was different now that made him wonder if what the older man had said was true.

In the bedroom some time later, Beverly lay curled behind Jean‑Luc reveling in the peace she had found in his arms and the depth of gentleness that ran in him. There were no thoughts of Wesley or his suspicions.

She had woken that morning dreading facing Jean‑Luc, wondering if he would regret the night of passion. She had found him leaning over her, smiling, just looking at her like she was some rare find that was completely his. She had told him that too, only to have him kiss her slowly before whispering, "You are not rare. There can only be one of you, because there is no more room in my heart for another of you." There was no tension, no regrets ‑ only their friendship and love sharing their tent while they dressed and prepared for the day.

###

Jean‑Luc and Beverly slowly eased out of bed late the next morning, to find Wesley gone. He had told them the night before he wanted to visit some other cadets on the planet and the group agreed to separate for the day.

Jean‑Luc was amazed at himself. He prided himself on self‑control, but he had none when it came to being with Beverly. He could not fill his hunger for her taste, and she did not help when she teased him.

Eating a late breakfast, Jean‑Luc watched her. She was steady, centered again, showing no signs of the nightmare affecting her. It had not come for the second night in a row, but they still needed to talk, he thought, now while they were completely alone. He dreaded bringing that look of pain to her eyes.

"Beverly, we have to talk." His tone of voice told her what he wanted to talk about.

"I know," she said, leaning back in her chair, staring down into her coffee knowing she could not go on. She had not told Jean‑Luc the dream was getting darker and more frightening with each replay, the last dream nearly pushing her over the edge. She had to have help, but she wanted Jean‑Luc to understand first. So much was different that her fears seemed smaller now, but still very real. She was ready to heal and the only hurtle left was facing up to the lie she had told.

"What happened the other day," he asked.

"Wesley."

"What did he say?"

"He asked about you."

"Why would that frighten you? He had already asked me about our relationship and I told him we were working on becoming more than friends."

"I lied to him; I told him we were lovers."

Jean-Luc paused, had she told him that a few days ago, he could see where he would have been upset. It actually saved him from the embarrassment of telling Wesley about the change, but it was not like Beverly to lie. "Why?"

"He asked me if we were sleeping together. When I told him no, he called me a liar, said we were either lovers or hiding it, or something happened on Kes-Prytt we were not telling him about. He hit too close to home and I panicked."

"Beverly, talk to me. Not just about what brought the dream on, but everything."

Beverly suddenly missed the warmth of the bed. For all of her resolve, she was still frightened that he would hate her for her weakness.

###

At the same time, Wesley sat in his dorm room at the training center. The room was still registered to him, since he was still on the planet and he figured this would be the best place to try to contact the Enterprise without being interrupted. More than an hour had passed since he had sent his request to speak to Deanna Troi, while he tried to organize his thoughts. He wished again she was here and dealing with this rather than him.

The computer beeped at him calling his attention to the view screen. He verbally gave the computer his access code and found himself looking at both Troi and Riker.

"Wes, how are things going," the counselor smiled.

"Depends on if you're asking about the vacation or the mystery you asked me to solve."

"Both," Riker said, cutting straight to the chase.

"Well, the vacation was going fine until I pushed too hard trying to get Mom to talk to me. As for what is going on, I know two things. One, they are involved with one another and their bond has grown stronger here on Vulcan, but something is still wrong there. Two, part of Mom's problem is how the mission ended on Kes-Prytt," Wesley said before launching into a description of the conversations between him and the couple.

###

In their suite, Beverly looked up at Jean-Luc. She owed him so much, he deserved the truth. A single tear ran down her cheek as she took a deep breath.

"That night on Kes-Prytt, I couldn't sleep. I got to hear some very interesting dreams. They were so perfect . . . . You dreamed of me."

"Yes, Beverly, I dreamed of you. A night doesn't go by without me dreaming of you."

"I lay there, wishing I could make those dreams real. That I could live there . . . where I knew, I would always have you. It was the answer to all the fears I've had for so long. The incident at the border made it worse, but didn't cause it. My mind froze at the consequences of being separated from you, but I had to save you. Part of my mind stopped functioning when I thought I was losing you and I could hear your scream in my head, begging me to cross through the force field. That is what set everything in motion."

"Do you think you can talk about it now," he asked, sensing something was different in Beverly.

"I guess . . . since things are different now. When we got back to the ship, I was functioning on habit. I was blocking everything around me, concentrating on those dreams. The idea of facing reality was too much. I wanted to live in the dream - I still do," she said crying harder.

Picard rounded the table, pulling her up and over to the couch. Drawing her into his arms, he rocked her. His touch opened a door for her and everything came pouring out.

"I am so afraid of being alone, of losing you and Wesley and the others. The implants took that fear away, giving me a part of you that I knew no one else would ever have. I knew it wasn't right, but I still wanted it and would have done anything to keep it. That's why I went to pieces," she whispered, feeling anxiety rise within her. "I can't get the dreams out of my head, Jean-Luc! When I'm awake, it's like an addiction, distracting me from everything. On the ship, I would make an excuse to go to the lab or my office, by myself, and just sit there day dreaming. It took everything I had to resist doing that every minute of the day."

She turned in his arms to look into his eyes, "I know what the truth is, that I have to depend on you to be there, to trust you to do your best. I even know the medical terms for what the problem is, but, I have to fight so hard to not replay the dreams, in hopes that it will happen. It was taking everything I had to stay functioning. Then, in rational moments, I would feel so guilty for not being as strong as I should. I was being torn in two," she said.

"The incident at the border created the nightmare; you didn't lie to Wesley about that. Remembering your dreams helped me push that fear of losing you away. When Deanna started pushing for answers, she just reminded me of the fears and my mind replayed the nightmare as a taunt that I wasn't dealing with the problem. A cycle was created - I would focus on your dreams to push the nightmare away, Deanna would try to help, and I would be facing the nightmare again. It's been getting easier here, spending time with you away from the ship. Then Wesley started questioning things, it was like Troi asking questions. The nightmare came back to remind me of everything I can't control."

Picard laid a finger on her cheek stopping her speech, "Beverly, I know us having a life together will be hard, but we will make it. I'm not going to leave, unless I am taken away. Death is the only thing great enough to do that and we can't control that. We will make those dreams come true, but you have to trust me and depend on me to do my part. Your part is to fight that need and stay with me."

Pushing a bit of her hair behind her ear, he said, "I remember what I dreamed that night. I dreamed of taking my wife home to France. I dreamed of taking you home to LaBarre. As far as I am concerned, that dream will come true because I plan on making you my wife."

"I'm sorry, I'm being so stupid," Beverly said.

"No, you're not! You are being human! You've told me the same things many times. We will work through this. It doesn't make you any less the person I love. Nor will it change how Wesley or Deanna or Will sees you. You're a hero to all of us because of how strong you are. You have been there for all of us. Let us be there for you and be strong for you for once."

Beverly could see the truth in his eyes, "It is just so hard for me to depend on anyone outside of work. During missions, I can depend on the team doing what is right and necessary. We are Star Fleet officers, there to do a job. It's in my personal life it's hard - when there is no other reason but friendship to be together. When I have depended on people in the past, I was disappointed. Just give me time?" Picard nodded and kissed her forehead, drawing her tighter to him.

She slowly smiled through the tears as she felt a little of the guilt and pain lift from her. Of all the things said to her during the past weeks, none of them had really stuck. Now, she guessed, she was ready to hear the truth and to deal with it. She did have her family and friends; they were not going to abandon her because she was weak.

###

Twenty minutes later, Wesley and Troi were discussing possible routes to take now in helping Beverly.

"Wes, we have to make her face that nightmare, to see that Kes-Prytt is over. There will be other missions where she as to deal with similar situations, and the captain has to be a part of that. He's hiding from this as much as your mother. As bad as I hate to say this, them becoming lovers now is more dangerous for Beverly. She could use this relationship to push all of this into some dark corner of her mind, never dealing with it until it's too late. If we could separate them long enough for your mother to face her fear, then I could help her put it behind her."

Wesley sat with his back to his unlocked door, listening intently to Troi as a sound came from behind him. He swung around to find his mother standing in the room, staring at the screen. Troi could see past Wesley once he turned, "Oh my."

Picard stood behind Beverly. He didn't need a telepathic link to know what Beverly was feeling, she was hurt and so was he. Before he could say anything, Beverly twisted past him, running from the room. Tempted to chase her down, Picard knew he had to deal with Troi and Wesley first and he was not in the mood to be rational or calm. His mind was screaming, they wanted to separate him from Beverly.

Wesley was the first one in line for his wrath, "I know you care so does she, but, we both asked you to leave this alone for a reason and you betrayed us! Do you think this is going to make your mother's problems easier? I thought I could trust you of all people Wesley," he said.

Troi broke in to defend the cadet, "Captain, Wesley was acting on my request. Beverly needs a lot of help . . . ."

Picard turned back to the small desk screen, his voice slowly rising, "And you found the situation bad enough to enlist unqualified help in solving something that amounts to curiosity? You have no proof there is anything wrong with Doctor Crusher other than some vague guesses and your need to know every little detail of her life. So curious are you, that you are willing to stab your best friend in the back and destroy her happiness. You are supposed to be one of the greatest psychologists in the galaxy; you just proved you are the one with a problem. Until this affects the running of the ship, stay out of Beverly's way." He stabbed a button ending the transmission and the look of anguish on Deanna's face. Looking back at Wesley, he said, "Take the hint Wesley!"

He turned and left in search of his lover.

###

He found Beverly standing at a small lake at the edge of the city that they had seen during their trips to and from the excavation site. Beverly had told him then it looked so peaceful, and that she wanted to see it up close. It made sense she would search out that peace now, more than an hour since she had ran from the dorm room.

Jean-Luc walked slowly up behind her. She stood in the heat of mid-day at a railing looking over the lake. Her arms were wrapped around her waist protectively and her head was bowed, the view meaning nothing to her. He wrapped his arm around her shoulders, causing her to jump. "Sorry."

He braced his legs and pulled her back into a tighter embrace, taking much of her weight. They simply stood there for what could have been five minutes or fifty minutes, deep in thought. Beverly was the first to break the silence, "What did you do?"

"Put the fear of god in them and I hurt them the way they hurt us."

"In other words, you blew your top."

"Yeah," he said with a sarcastic laugh. "They will not be bothering you for a while."

"Jean-Luc, can I ask a favor?"

"I will give you anything I can, you only have to ask."

"Take me to LaBarre. Now."

Jean-Luc didn't speak right away. He had not expected that request, but it was perfect. They both needed the comfort of home and home was on Earth right now. "Let's go."


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter Five**

The message was simple, "We've gone home. Leave us alone." There was no signature, but Wesley knew the captain and his mother were gone, and they were not headed for the Enterprise.

Commander Riker had called back a few minutes after Picard had left the dorm room and Wesley had not been surprised to hear Deanna crying in the background as he and the commander talked. They all hurt, they all had screwed up and that had to be made right, except none of them expected the couple to leave the planet.

Going back to the comm system, this time in the hotel suite, he called back to the Enterprise. Commander Riker greeted him from the captain's ready room, "Wes, that was quick."

"They're gone, I never found them. They left a message saying they were going home."

"Home? They haven't contacted the ship."

"Right now, I doubt they see the Enterprise as home. They have two full days left on leave with another six weeks worth available. They could be anywhere before we even have a chance to start tracking them."

"Besides the Enterprise, where do they consider home?" He addressed the question to Wesley and someone sitting across the desk from him.

Deanna moved in front of the screen for the first time. Her eyes were red from crying and her hands shook as she leaned over Riker's shoulder to see Wesley. "The captain considers France with his brother as home, while your mother thinks of Caldos IV and your grandmother as home."

Riker thought it over for a moment, "I bet they head to Earth. We are scheduled to reach McKinley in 12 hours and the crew has a 24-hour leave; Troi and I will meet you in Paris, at the shuttle port at 10:00 and we will go out together. I will also contact headquarters to see if they have requested their leave or reported heading somewhere other than Earth."

Wesley sat in the suite long after the connection was cut. He was dreading facing the two people he cared the most about.

###

While Beverly rushed to pack, Picard had secured transport to Earth and contacted his sister-in-law, Marie, about their arrival. They then ran to catch their ride home, contacting Admiral Quinn in route, who gladly agreed to grant the officers the rest of their leave time.

Their arrival at the Picard Vineyard was all they had hoped. Marie and Robert, Jean-Luc's brother, had met them at the door, despite the late hour, with a lot of questions and open arms. Picard watched Marie's natural warmth and the house's security wash over Beverly and relax her, while he explained their sudden appearance to Robert and asked for his help to conceal their whereabouts. His family was all too happy to help them hide for a while, especially since they planned to stay at the vineyard. Expecting the nightmare to reappear despite all this, Picard was surprised to wake to the sound of Beverly's laughter and the morning sun.

Their bedroom opened to a balcony that overlooked the patio and it was from those open doors Picard could hear Marie and Beverly talking. Climbing out of bed, he went to the railing to look down at the two women, who sat eating breakfast and talking like old friends. This brought a smile to Picard's lips. Glancing around, he saw his brother and nephew, Rene, working at another table on a wooden model. Rene glanced up to see his uncle and waved, before calling to the women.

Beverly looked up at the balcony and waved, "Sleeping beauty arises."

"Come up here and say that again, Doctor."

"Not on your life. Hurry up; I want to see your famous vineyard." Rene ran up to Beverly's side to join the conversation.

"Uncle, can I help you show Aunt Beverly around?"

"Aunt Beverly, I like the sound of that. Rene, you are the official tour guide for this place, so you get to show both of us around as soon as I eat breakfast."

Rene met him with a hug at the patio doors several minutes later. Beverly watched Jean-Luc greet the boy, seeing none of the old discomfort he had around children. She listened to the two joke and tease Robert, while Marie delivered breakfast to Jean-Luc. Things were so much clearer now, she thought. She was beating the nightmare and the world was coming back into focus, all except her son and best friend's betrayal.

On the trip to Earth, they had discussed how to handle explanations. The decision was made to present themselves to his family as what they were: old friends, crew mates, and lovers. One of Robert's first questions the night before had been about their relationship. Beverly had felt no fear about what Jean-Luc would say. It was the answer to Marie's question that caught Beverly by surprise.

"So, this is the famed Doctor Crusher. About time you brought her here, Jean-Luc. Now, when is the wedding?"

Jean-Luc laughed, "Don't rush things Marie. She hasn't officially agreed to marry me yet."

Beverly, who was seated next to him on a love seat, looked up at Jean-Luc in surprise, "What?"

Smiling mysteriously, Picard said, "All in good time, m'amour."

She now watched Jean-Luc answer question after question from his nephew. She was watching her dreams come true before her eyes, while she did the one thing she never thought she would do - put all of her trust in one person.

###

Deanna Troi, Will Riker, and Wesley Crusher beamed on to the front lawn of the Picard Vineyard at exactly 11:00 to be greeted by Robert Picard. They were all in civilian clothes, not feeling much like Star Fleet officers. None had slept the night before for thinking about the conversation facing them.

Riker moved ahead as they approached the older man, who stood studying them from behind the yard's gate, "Monsieur Picard?"

"Oui, may I help you?"

"I'm Commander William Riker, the first officer of the Enterprise; this is Commander Deanna Troi, ship's counselor; and Cadet Wesley Crusher, a former member of the Enterprise. Sir, we are looking for Captain Picard. Is he here?"

"I'm sorry; he sent word yesterday he was not going to be able to stop by at the end of his vacation."

Troi stepped up closer, "Are you sure? It is imperative we find him and the woman he is traveling with."

"I'm sorry, I can't help you."

The three visitors glanced at each other in confusions, they had been positive Picard and Crusher would run here. Troi smiled at the older man, "Well, we're sorry we disturbed you. If you do hear from Captain Picard, would you tell him we need to see him?"

Saying goodbye, the trio turned to leave, but Troi stopped. Looking back at Robert Picard, she said, "And could you tell him he was right and the problem was being fixed. He'll understand." At Robert's nod, she turned back to Riker, grasping his hand as he called for the return transport. Robert saw the woman's head turn during transport toward the hill Jean-Luc and Beverly had been sitting on earlier. Looking up the hill as well, he saw the couple had moved and were not in sight.

###

Beverly and Jean-Luc watched the scene at the gate from their seats under an ancient oak tree overlooking the vineyard and house. Beverly sat between Picard's legs, leaning back in his arms. Rene hung from a branch over their heads.

"We have visitors," the boy said, jumping down to stand next to Picard's shoulder. "It is the people you told father to expect?"

"Oui. Your father will handle them."

"Why don't you want to see them, aren't they your friends?"

"They were - they are, but we had an argument and need a break from them."

"I thought you said they were officers. Why aren't they in uniform?"

Beverly was the first to turn away, looking back at Rene, "They are on leave like your uncle and I." She had watched Troi step up to Robert in an attempt to read emotions he was hiding thanks to a trick Jean-Luc had taught him. Jean-Luc had explained the events of the past weeks to Robert in private, away from Marie and Beverly, but she knew he had prepared his brother to face the empath. The three would leave believing Beverly Crusher and Jean-Luc Picard were hiding off the planet.

Jean-Luc watched the scene another few seconds before moving to stand, "Let's put some distance between us and them." He helped Beverly stand and headed down the other side of the hill, out of view of the house and its guests.

"Why do you need to put distance between us and them?"

"The woman will be able to sense us, if we stay on the hill. The further away we are, the harder it will be for her to tell if we are on the property, which we don't want her to know."

Rene gave a mental shrug to the answer and ran ahead of the couple to the lake they were approaching. Jean-Luc and Beverly walked arm and arm around the lake only far enough to turn on to the dock that extended out into the lake. Rene turned for a second to watch them walk to the dock's end and wrap their arms around each other, just like his parents did. His father had told him once he loved his wife so much that to just hold her was a blessing of pleasure. Uncle and Aunt Beverly must love each other just as much, he thought, turning back toward the woods at the lake's edge, glad to know his uncle was not alone in space.

Jean-Luc pulled Beverly around to face him, once they reached the end of the dock, and wrapped his arms around her. She released a small sigh as she laid her head on his shoulder, allowing him to bury his face in her hair. This place held many memories for him of his mother and father and time spent with his school friends and his brother. Not all were good, but they came together to form a blanket of stability and warmth that he would always associate with home - and now with Beverly. The Enterprise meant a lot to him, but it was this place and this woman that would always be his anchor in the storm. They made him the man he was and gave him the strength to take to the stars, while the Enterprise made him only a captain and provided the means to reach the stars.

By now, his crew would know he and Beverly were taking another six weeks off with no notice. They would be scrambling to prepare for their absence and Will would have already contacted Admiral Quinn seeking more information. He would find none, not even a record of the trip to France. The trail would end with him and Beverly disembarking the transport in New York, and then the couple would just vanish.

Jean-Luc had personally deactivated their comm badges so they could not be traced through the communication system. He had also arranged for them to have fake identification cards with credit accounts so they could travel and shop without leaving a trail. Even if the Enterprise came into orbit of Earth, something headquarters would frown on, its sensors would not be able to pick out two human individuals from the millions living on the planet.

They were well hidden and would stay that way until they decided otherwise. Although Picard expected Riker and Troi to try at least once more to find them before the Enterprise was force to leave the sector on her next mission.

###

Beverly wasn't sure exactly what it was about Jean-Luc's home that made her feel so safe, but that night she found herself relaxed for the first time in many years. She loved the Enterprise, almost as much as Jean-Luc did, but she was never completely able to let her guard down for fear of emergencies and injuries. She never knew what the next mission would bring and if someone she cared for was going to die in her sick bay. For the first time in seven years, her fears were not needed because the only person she was worried about lay next to her facing nothing more dangerous than walking down a flight of stairs.

That lack of fear carried over into her dreams. Curled under the protective arm of Jean-Luc, Beverly slept, her mind creating dreams of love, fun, and safety for the first time in six weeks. She woke to sunlight steaming in the balcony doors, the smell of fresh coffee, and the sound of Jean-Luc singing in the bathroom. Laughing at his obvious pleasure, she tip-toed into small room and found him in the shower singing an old Earth opera. His excuse of lacking talent was now a moot point and she knew of several plays she wanted him to play the lead role in, requiring him to sing.

"You know Jean-Luc, I now have the proof I need to blackmail you," she said as he finished the song with a flourish.

"Since you can usually talk me into anything, I don't know what you would use it for," he called, laughing.

Opening the shower door, Beverly dropped her gown and stepped under the water with him. "Yes, but you have resisted my plays for years. Now that I have heard you sing, you have no choice but to perform."

"You would blackmail me for one of your plays?"

"I would blackmail you for at least three of my plays, one of course being 'The Taming of the Shrew' which I have been putting off because I could not find a Petruchio to match my Katharina."

"Great, not only do I have to tame a shrew in real life, I have to do it in fantasy now as well."

With a mock cry of fury to Jean-Luc's laughter, Beverly grabbed for him as he leapt from the shower, eluding her before he slammed the door. "See you down stairs love."

Joining the family minutes later in the kitchen, Beverly was immediately swept up in the discussion of plans for the day. The four adults worked together preparing breakfast for them all and lunch for Rene to take to school, and the men to take as they went to work on the foundation of a warehouse for the vineyard. Their easy banter was stalled by a knock on the front door.

Robert stood to go answer it, "Who would be here at this early hour?"

Marie, glancing at Jean-Luc's and Beverly's shared uneasiness, stopped her husband. "Let me answer. If it is one of the officers again, let me see what I can get out of them."

She peeked out the window next to the door to see a Star Fleet commander looking around the yard. Opening the door, she offered up her politest smile, "Commander, may I help you?"

Riker turned at the female voice and smiled, "I'm sorry to disturb so early. You are Madam Picard?"

"Oui, and you are?"

"William Riker, first officer of the Enterprise. Is Jean-Luc in?"

Making a show of surprise and confusion, Marie moved to completely block the door so the commander could not see past her, yet her companions could still hear. "I'm sorry, my brother-in-law is not here. He canceled his plans to stop by for a visit a couple of days ago. I thought he was due back on the Enterprise by now."

"Yes, he would be, except he took some more leave time and did not leave a way to locate him. We are getting ready to leave orbit and I need to talk to him before we do. Do you have any idea where he might have gone?"

"I'm sorry. This is all news to me. Didn't you come here yesterday, with two other people?"

"Yes, I talked to your husband. We only found out late yesterday of Captain Picard's extended leave. Yesterday, we were just hoping to spend some time with him, today, I need him for ship business. The only information he left was he was going home. Is there somewhere else he might go?"

"I'm sorry Commander, I can't help you. Maybe his traveling companion can help you. He had originally told us he was bringing a friend with him from Vulcan, but did not give us a name. Do you know who he was traveling with?"

"Yes, he went with our chief medical officer to visit her son." Pausing, he gave Marie a look of worry, "Actually, Doctor Crusher is a big part of what I need to talk to Jean-Luc about. She came back from Vulcan acting strangely. We were hoping he could help us." Marie simply gave him a negative shake of her head. "Well, I guess we will just have to get by. If you talk to the captain, would you tell him I need to speak to him? It is very important."

"Certainly, Commander. Bonjour."

"Bonjour Madam."

Marie stepped quickly back through the door and closed it, leaving Riker standing on the steps. Peaking through the window again, she watched him walk back out of the gate and transport away. Turning, she found Jean-Luc leaning against the kitchen door frame hugging Beverly to him, whose head was laid on his shoulder, hidden, while she cried. The express on his face told Marie he was not happy. "You heard it all?"

"Yes. He thought he could trip you up with concern over Beverly since you apparently knew nothing about her. I'm not sure which is worse, going behind our backs or trying to use us against each other."

Two hours later, Picard received word from Admiral Quinn's office the Enterprise had left the sector, heading to Deep Space 5 for a three-week mission. He stood at the library window watching Beverly work in the garden with little enthusiasm for the job. She had not stopped crying since Riker left and had said little, not leaving Picard's side until he suggested she work in the garden while he waited for word from Quinn. When she glanced up at the window, he nodded so she would know the Enterprise was gone and she was safe again. They had hurt her for the last time, he swore.

In the following three weeks, a pattern developed where Beverly and Jean-Luc became part of the household and not mere guests. Marie and Beverly became fast friends, discussing everything from motherhood to politics, while Jean-Luc picked up his relationship with his brother where they had left it several years earlier. The two couples worked at strengthening the vineyard, the family, and their relationships.

During that time, only three communiqués came for Jean-Luc and Beverly. Two were from the Enterprise, from Troi and Riker, which Jean-Luc deleted without reading. The third came from Admiral Quinn requesting the couple's help in dealing with a minor crisis in a small system some 24 hours from Earth, in the opposite direction of the Enterprise. Since there was no chance of his senior officers hearing of the mission until after it was over, Jean-Luc agreed to handle the diplomatic mission with Beverly as his assistant. In four days times, they were back at the Picard Vineyard.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter Six**

The weeks at the vineyard passed with no signs of the nightmare reappearing, while Beverly began to slowly open up to Jean-Luc. She talked of Arvada III, Caldos, Jack Crusher's death and Jean-Luc's role in it, her career, single motherhood, and the decision to join the Enterprise. He began to see a picture of a lonely life, in the most part, created by her in an effort to stall any more pain. For Beverly, most of the people she had placed her trust and love in had died, leaving her alone and her defense had been to build walls, distancing herself from everyone, but Wesley and then the senior staff of the Enterprise. Fear for those few people was a constant part of her life she described as "stalking her from day to dream."

Their long conversations gave the couple a basis for building their relationship, with Beverly trusting him with her most private memories, dreams, and fears. In return for her openness, Jean-Luc talked about his own life as a child, student, and fleet officer. The depth of the bond between them was tested a few days after their short mission for Quinn.

Deciding they needed something different for the day, the couple had headed for the mountains in northern France. Despite her fear, Beverly suggested they climb one of the smaller mountains, allowing Jean-Luc to teach her more advanced climbing skills. He saw this as the ultimate test of trust for her and was proud of her as they started up the mountain. Several meters from the top, the couple reached a difficult climbing area causing Jean-Luc to slow their pace, talking Beverly through every move.

She had placed her weight on a slim foothold on the almost-sheer wall, when the rock loosened, sending Beverly falling and Jean-Luc reacting on pure instinct, catching her hand at the last second. He saw her look down and felt her hand tighten on his, but when her head rose, he read only trust in her eyes. She waited for him to help her find her footing again, never fearing that he would drop her. Reaching the summit, they collapsed to hold one another in relief. Sitting on the mountain, Jean-Luc asked Beverly to marry him.

###

Beverly stared at the message, feeling panic rise, attempting to overtake her senses and thought processes. Admiral Quinn's communiqué simply said, "They will be on Earth tomorrow." She knew she had to stop hiding and talk to her fellow officers and her son. They had betrayed her, their motives were of the purest, she told herself, yet something was holding her back from sending the message that would bring her friends to the vineyard.

The Picard family was on the patio, enjoying the late summer's warmth and a light supper she and Marie had prepared. She only found the message because she had returned inside for more drinks and heard the beep of an incoming message. Life here was so different that it tested the body and mind in different ways than Star Fleet, those differences had help her separate her problems into manageable units, so she was finally able to explain exactly what was going on to Jean-Luc. He had been so good the last weeks, since Kes-Prytt, that now she wondered where exactly her captain had gone. Then, he had asked her to marry him on top of that damn mountain, she thought, as her mind drifted to the moment she would never forget.

They had collapsed next to a boulder, several meters from the edge, with Jean-Luc cradling Beverly like a child in his lap. After resting only long enough to catch his breath, he had gripped Beverly by her shoulders, pushing up so he could see her face.

"We are never climbing again! Are you okay?"

"I'm fine, it just frightened me. You love to climb, which means I will get accustomed to this, including falling."

"No, we will not be climbing any more mountains, my heart can't take it."

Laughing at his seriousness, Beverly kissed him long and slow before allowing her lips to trail down his jaw to his neck, where she rested her head again. "Yes we will."

"Marry me?"

Beverly sat still trying to believe she had heard him correctly, and before she could question him, he whispered the two words in her ear again. "Marry me?"

Pulling back, she looked into his eyes to see passion and love like she had never seen, all directed at her. She felt the air leave her lungs and her blood slowed until she could hear every beat of her heart and his, beating in unison. There were no words, no way to express to him exactly how happy, excited, and thankful she was to know this one man. Instead, she clasped his head between her hands and kissed him with all of the passion stored in her heart for 20 years, allowing the fires to burn their lips. Then they had just sat on the mountain, watching the sun arc across the sky and nature return to normal time, while they simply existed to feel the other's arms around them.

Beverly didn't remember the climb down, just the feel of her feet landing at the bottom and her whispering yes, causing Jean-Luc to turn toward her, questing the meaning of the one word. Beverly had smiled at his confusion for a second, before a thought raced through her brain; I've only told him once that I love him.

With them both still connected to the mountain, in their climbing gear, Beverly took the three steps that separated them, laid one hand on his heart. It beat quickly from the exercise and she could feel his body heat rising through the t-shirt he wore. "Yes, I will marry you. I never said it up top. Yes," she said, pausing as a smile bloomed on her lips and in her eyes. "I love you."

The sound of Rene's laughter drew her back to the Picard's kitchen and back to the problem at hand. Part of her still wanted to run and hide, deny what was happening and exist only in her dream world. The other part of her, the part that was stronger now because of Jean-Luc's love and patience, wanted to be with her friends again and leave behind the pain. Setting the pitcher down on the counter, she stepped back in front of the comm center, her fingers automatically typing in the codes to link her with the Enterprise and then with Counselor Deanna Troi and/or Commander William Riker. Several seconds later, the view screen came to life to show Deanna and Will standing in the observation lounge.

Jean-Luc glanced up from Rene to see Beverly standing in front of the comm center, when she turned away without coming out for one them; he began to wonder if something had happened. Watching her through the window, he saw her pick up the pitcher left behind and pause for a long moment, her face relaxing as she drifted into a daydream. Cursing under his breath, he excused himself from his family, making an excuse for why Rene could not follow him into the house. By the time he reached the kitchen, Beverly stood again in front of the comm center. Stepping through the kitchen door, he saw Will and Deanna, but Beverly was speaking before he could move to the screen.

"We're in France now, at the vineyard. I miss you," she said, staring directly at Deanna. Jean-Luc watched the two women just look at one another for a long moment and the tears fell simultaneously. He walked up behind Beverly wrapping his arms around her, looking up at Riker to smile, "When can we expect you, Will?"

Riker, who had tensed on seeing Picard, visibly relaxed at the question, "We should be at McKinley tomorrow afternoon. How about we meet in Paris for supper?"

"Perfect. We'll pick you up at the shuttle port at 20:00, I'll make the reservations from here. Come prepared for a night out on the town and to spend the night here, at the vineyard."

"Sounds good to me," the younger man said, before turning to look at Beverly. "We really are sorry."

Beverly just smiled at him and nodded. Jean-Luc knew then they would be able to reconstruct the friendship and the family on board the Enterprise. Tomorrow, just the four of them would talk and heal. He would talk to Robert about the engagement party his older brother had mentioned and plan it before the Enterprise could leave orbit.

###

Wesley stood under a fruit tree watching the Academy move around him, while he waited for Captain Picard to arrive. Classes were becoming unbearable and the problem with his mother just made it worse. Facing Picard was the first step in solving the problem, he knew, but he wished he could avoid it. The older man had left a message for Wesley to meet him at the center of the Academy garden saying nothing about Beverly coming. Wesley guessed Picard wanted another piece of his butt for going behind his mother's back. This had turned into the biggest mistake of his life.

His concentration was broken by the sound of laughter. At first, the sound meant nothing since he was surrounded by cadets between classes, relaxing and horsing around in the large garden. Then something in the laugh caught his attention and he turned to find his mother walking toward him with a huge smile on her face, followed by Picard, obviously trying to tease her.

Beverly was dressed in a light sun dress that emphasized her grace and beauty and her hair was flying loose in the light breeze of San Francisco. Male cadets watched her walk through the garden with great interest until they saw the man who ran a few steps to catch up and wrap his arm around her. They saw the goddess turn her smile on Jean-Luc Picard and knew they didn't stand a chance at outclassing the famous captain or breaking the love the woman obviously had for him.

Wesley only saw his mother, whole and well again, walking with the man he respected above all others.

Reaching him, Beverly moved away from Jean-Luc and wrapped her arms around the boy. "Didn't I teach you not to stare?"

"Sorry, but beauty has to be appreciated by someone," he said, drawing a laugh from Jean-Luc and Beverly. "So, are you here to hang me from this tree or to let me apologize?"

"Neither," Beverly said, pulling her son down to the ground to sit. "I came to explain what happened. Will and Deanna will be here tonight for me to do the same."

"You're not mad," he said, looking up to Jean-Luc, who still stood.

Jean-Luc smiled down at the family, "That burned out about an hour later, although I think you got what you deserved that day. Now, it's time to move on. I'm going to find Boothby. Call me when you are finished."

Picard left the tree, crossing toward the rose garden on the west side of the area. Watching him go, Wesley breathed for the first time since he had gotten the message that morning from the captain.

The hour and half was spent listening to his mother and reassuring her of his love and confidence in her. Wesley learned a lot about his mother during that time, realizing for the first time just how hard her life had been with just him. He came to understand her nightmares, both old and new, her fears, and her ultimate break down on the Enterprise. He also knew he would be attending a wedding soon.

"And when will the wedding be," he asked when Beverly had finished describing Jean-Luc's patience and protection over the past weeks. Taking his mother by surprise, she looked up at him, smiling.

"That obvious is it?"

"That you love him? Anyone who sees you together can figure that out. That you are getting married? If you're not, I will have to have a talk with the captain about intentions." Both were laughing at the joke when Picard returned with Boothby in tow.

"The perfect scene. All made up," he asked looking at Beverly.

"Yes. Is this Boothby?"

The gardener stepped forward, leaning down to shake hands, "That's me. Young Picard here demanded I meet his intended. It is a pleasure to finally meet the woman that tamed this hellion."

Laughing and blushing, Beverly stood to hug Jean-Luc, "Sorry, tame him I have not. I enjoy trying to keep up with him." She softly kissed him, relaxing against him as he pulled her closer, forgetting everything but the woman.

###

They spent the rest of the day with Wesley in San Francisco. Late that afternoon, they returned to Labarre to dress and meet Will and Deanna.

Dressed first, Jean-Luc was sitting against the head board of their bed watching Beverly finish, when she caught a gleam in his eyes she more than recognized. "Not now Jean, we can't be late to this."

"Sure we can, it's our party," he said, smiling but not moving to act on his desire. He had watched her all day with Wesley and was positive she was healing. He didn't have to be so protective now. The shattered expression he saw on the ship when she thought no one was looking was gone and her need to be with him constantly had lessened. Jean-Luc knew it would still be a while before she was whole again, but Beverly had come to terms with her needs and that was half the battle, Deanna would help with the rest, while he supported her.

"What are you thinking about so hard," Beverly asked, catching his attention as she sat down on the bed next to him.

"How beautiful you are and how lucky I am that you love me."

She smiled slowly before moving forward to hug him. "I'm the lucky one to have a captain that allowed me to go a little insane and a friend that stood by me through it all. I will never be able to repay you for that."

"Then don't try, just love me forever."

"Forever," she said, pulling back to look at him. "They're waiting and I really want to see them."

###

Will and Deanna set across from Jean-Luc and Beverly in a hidden booth of a Paris restaurant late that night. The younger couple was seeing a new side of their friends as the couple came to the end of their explanation for the past weeks. Meeting at the port, Beverly had greeted her friends with smiles and hugs, only saying they were going to enjoy the evening before she explained what had happened. With the tension eased for the most part, the two couples had gone to the theater before hiding away in the back of the posh restaurant.

Once seated, Beverly had started talking about Kes-Prytt and the nightmare that had hounded her to the point of running from the ship with Jean-Luc. "It came down to needing time and I not having a way of explaining it to you on the Enterprise. I owe you both an apology for being so insecure."

Deanna leaned forward to catch Beverly's hand, "No, you don't owe us an apology. You were doing what you had to do and we ignored the signs and kept pushing. I ignored the signs."

Beverly squeezed the empath's hand and interpreted her, "Don't say another word. If I can't apologize to you, then you can't apologize to me. We're even and continue our friendship."

"Agreed."

Will watched the women smile at one another, before turning to his captain. "So, you're not going to demote me?"

"No, she won't let me," Jean-Luc said receiving a light swat on the arm for his joke, allowing a smile to form. "Although you will be paying a price."

Both Will and Deanna sat straighter at the comment and grasped hands under the table prepared for the worse. Watching the emotions flying across their friends' faces, Beverly and Jean-Luc grinned.

Jean-Luc barely controlling his laughter, continued, "I am making it your duty to officiate the next on-board marriage ceremony."

"Next ceremony, sir?" Will blinked several times, trying to understand what the older man was talking about.

"Yes, I know it's a tough duty, but you can handle it and, well, it's only fair my first officer be the one to marry us."

Deanna grasped the meaning of the words first, turning to look at Beverly. "Tell me he is talking about what I think he is talking about."

"Would you like to be maid of honor?"

"Try to stop me!"

###

It was three months before the wedding could be held, but Jean-Luc considered the time well spent, watching Beverly laughing with friends at the reception. Between missions, reports, and duty shifts, Beverly and Deanna, with the help of Marie via comms, had planned the wedding; including spending days looking for the perfect dress for Beverly.

The simple silk and lace silver dress emphasized Beverly's dancer figure proving the perfect background for her red hair that she had left down at his request. The effect had caused Jean-Luc to swallow hard when Beverly entered Ten-Forward at the start of the ceremony and earned him a facetious remark from Will. The only thing missing was Wesley, he thought, knowing he would have been on the Enterprise if his new found abilities would have allowed it. But the boy was studying with the Traveler and was happy, which was enough for Beverly and Jean-Luc.

Standing in the corner, taking a break from the drudgery of thanking Star Fleet officials for coming, Jean-Luc enjoyed a chance to just see who had come to the wedding. Who would have thought so many people were eager to see him married? A movement on the outside of his vision drew his attention, finding Beverly standing next to him.

"You're hiding."

"And you wish you were," Jean-Luc said, drawing his new wife into his arms.

"No, I wish we were in our quarters, but we have a dance to start."

"Now, that is something I can enjoy. Is the band ready?"

"Waiting for your signal."

Catching the band leader's eye, Jean-Luc escorted Beverly to the center of the room as the conductor introduced the couple. Pulling her closer, Jean-Luc smiled at the circle of friends that formed to watch the first dance. Beverly had told him the night before she was proud of her friends and could not image her life without them. Looking at them now, he understood exactly what she meant. These same friends were the ones that had opened their arms to Beverly when she needed it the most and offered her the chance to heal, which was happening bit by bit every day.

He also knew, after all the years of loving Beverly and wondering if there was a future, they had finally found one another.


End file.
